It will see Crook - star of The Office as well as the man behind Ragetti in the Pirates of the Caribbean films - draw on his own experiences as an enthusiast in real life. “It taps into the world of the male hobby which is very funny and touching,” according to BBC comedy boss Shane Allen.

The comedy is due to air either at the end of this year or early next year and the hiring of Jones represents a huge coup for the project.

As well as winning his Golden Globe best actor award for playing Alfred Hitchcock in the 2012 film The Girl, Jones has appeared in a raft of films including Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy as well as The Hunger Games. He also provided the voice of Dobby the House Elf in the Harry Potter films.